The objective of this seminar is to help airport personnel appreciate the threat that FOD can pose to safe flight operations. It will describe the key elements of an effective FOD program (Prevention, Detection, Removal and Evaluation) and also outline how a successful program can be implemented in order to manage FOD threats.
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FOREIGN OBJECT DEBRIS (FOD) DEFINED
According to ICAO ANNEX 14, FOD refers to “an inanimate object within the movement area which has no operational or aeronautical function, and which has the potential to be a hazard to aircraft operations.”
For the FAA, it is “any object, live or not, located in an inappropriate location in the airport environment that has the capacity to injure airport or air carrier personnel and damage aircraft.”
In simple terms, FOD is any foreign object that does not belong on the runway, taxiway or ramp area. It can injure people and cause damage to infrastructure or aircraft, and in rare instances, can cause an accident.
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DIFFERENCE BETWEEN FOREIGN OBJECT DEBRIS AND FOREIGN OBJECT DAMAGE
In some parts of the world, such as across Europe, the term FOD is often understood as FOREIGN OBJECT DAMAGE. According to FAA Advisory Circular No: 150/5210-24, Foreign Object Damage is defined as: “any damage attributed to a foreign object that can be expressed in physical or economic terms which may or may not downgrade the product’s safety or performance characteristics.”
It is instructive to note that ICAO Annex 14 does not provide a definition for Foreign Object Damage, although the term is noted in part 3.3.12 where it is stated that “the runway turn pads should be provided with shoulders of such width as is necessary to prevent surface erosion by the jet blast of the most demanding aeroplane for which the turn pad is intended and any possible FOREIGN OBJECT DAMAGE to the aeroplane engines”. For the purpose of this seminar however, “FOD” will only refer to FOREIGN OBJECT DEBRIS.
DANGERS OF FOD
FOD poses several dangers, such as:
- be ingested by an aircraft engine, which can damage fan blades and result in the loss of the engine;
- cut aircraft tyres;
- become lodged in aircraft mechanisms, such as flaps, preventing them from operating properly;
- be thrown by jet blast;
Historically, FOD has resulted in accidents; and in extreme cases, loss of life. Data supplied by the ICAO Accident/Incident Data Reporting System (ADREP) reveals the seriousness of FOD risk to include aircraft losses and serious accidents.
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FOD LOCATIONS
FOD will gather anywhere if is not actively managed, and a simple change of wind direction can result in FOD in an area where one may not normally expect to locate. Airports must therefore manage FOD in all areas. However, particular attention (through daily inspections) must be paid to areas where aircrafts are most likely to be affected by FODs, including:
- Aircraft approaches
- Aircraft departures
- Runways
- Taxiways
- Apron taxilanes
- Aircraft stands
- Taxi routes to and from hangars
- Taxi routes to and from remote parking
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EXAMPLES OF FOD
- Runway and taxiway materials (concrete and asphalt chunks, rubber joint materials, paint chips, etc.);
- Aircraft parts (fuel caps, landing gear fragments, oil stick, metal sheet, trap doors, fire fragments, etc.);
- Flight line items (nails, personnel badges, pens, pencil, luggage tags, soda cans, etc.);
- Aircraft and engine fasteners (nuts, bolt, washers, safety wire, etc.);
- Apron items (paper and plastic debris from catering and freight pallets, luggage parts and debris from ramp equipment);
- Mechanic tools;
- Catering supplies;
- Construction debris (pieces of wood, stones, fasteners and miscellaneous metal objects);
- Plastic and/or polyethylene materials;
- Natural materials (plants fragments, wildlife and volcanic ash); and
- Contaminants from winter conditions (snow, ice and de-icing operations).
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CONTRIBUTING FACTORS
Among the many factors that can affect the presence and handling of FOD are:
❌ Poor maintenance and incremental deterioration of airport buildings and hangars;
❌ Old and outdated equipment;
❌ Poor servicing procedures;
❌ Apron with limited FOD checks;
❌ Airfields with limited FOD checks;
❌ Cargo Operations can become a source of FOD (i.e plastic wrappings). Therefore, cargo agents are expected to take actions to ensure that all wrappings are gathered and accounted for.
❌ Helicopters / Planes: The rotor wash from a helicopter or the jet blast from a plane can propel lightweight ground support equipment (GSE) or materials staged nearby.
❌ Weather, as a source of FOD may be more prevalent in winter conditions, as aging pavement infrastructure may be influenced by weathering (freeze and thaw cycles) and begin to crack or break apart. Weather can also cause FOD by moving FOD into aircraft movement or critical areas such as runways, taxiways, taxilanes and aprons.
The factors at play that can contribute to FOD should be examined as part of the risk assessment process. And because FOD can become an issue when airports begin construction activities, daily inspections by airport Safety Officers should be a routine practice.
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TREATING FOD RISK
The FAA notes that placing FOD containers in convenient and conspicuous locations helps remind airport personnel of the need to be vigilant in preventing FOD. It suggests the following locations for FOD containers I) near all entry points to the areas where aircraft operate; II) in hangars; III) aircraft tie-down and maintenance areas; and IV) at each aircraft gate or baggage area. Other things that Airports can do to reduce FOD threat are Good housekeeping; Sweeping; Tenants; Tool & equipment; Fencing; Suspend operations; Skips; etc.
Since Weather and natural occurrences can be the cause of FOD risk, airports should therefore routinely conduct a risk assessment for natural events such as Strong winds; Heavy rain & flash floods; Frozen snow &ice chunks; Sand &dust storms; Volcanic ash, etc.
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FOD PROGRAM ELEMENTS
FOD Detection
The focus here is on effective FOD inspection procedures and detection technologies. It involves basically two things: frequency and location. Airports should ensure that regular and frequent inspections of the manoeuvring and operational areas are conducted to find and remove any FOD as soon as it is identified. Flight crew should report to Air Traffic Controller (ATC) and Base Stations, any FOD they observe on the runway and taxiway.
NOTE: FOD detection can often be experienced-based by knowing the layout of the airport and the whereabout of known FOD “HOT SPOTS”.
FOD Removal
The concern here is effective FOD removal practices and the range of FOD removal equipment available to airports. FOD inspections are a critical element of a FOD Management Program that allows for the timely detection of FOD on airport surfaces. FOD may also be identified through other means like staff observation, reports from Pilots or Air Traffic Control, and through advanced FOD detection technologies. Regardless of the detection method, when FOD is detected, it must be removed immediately, before an incident can occur. The act of removing FOD is one of the critical FOD operations that occur at an airport. FOD should be removed when detected, regardless of the perceived threat. It is important to liaise with relevant stakeholders – for example with Air Traffic Control (ATC) as aircrafts may be required to stop taxing. Aircrafts may also need to be stopped from taking-off or landing due to FOD sighted on the runway.
FOD Removal Equipment
It is important that team members are provided with the equipment to perform the FOD removal task competently. While the range of equipment may vary from airport to airport, the purpose and desired outcome remain the same – to remove FOD before an incident occurs. Airports can utilize the following FOD removal equipment:
✅FOD Containers;
✅Magnets;
✅Sweepers;
✅FOD Blankets;
✅Rumble Strips; and
✅Drones.
Effective Use of FOD Equipment
To ensure maximum effectiveness of FOD removal equipment, the following principles should apply:
- Speed Limits: Generally, FOD removal equipment should operate at a minimum speed of 20km/h and should not exceed 25km/h. However, the FOD Boss which is very effective at FOD removal can be driven at speeds of 80km/h.
- Collection Pattern: FOD search and removal should commence on taxiways, taxilanes /aircraft lead-in lines; and should cover 3m left and right of the centreline.
- The ability of Staff to competently operate all FOD removal equipment is critically important. So, appropriate training should be provided.
- All FOD removal equipment must be fully serviceable and able to perform the task intended.
When an airport notices an increase in the number of FOD removals, the following questions should be considered: is it evidence of a growing FOD problem? Or, is it proof of better FOD collection techniques? To answer this question and evaluate the actual FOD challenge at the airport, the airport must ensure:
✅ FOD incidents are investigated and resolved;
✅Appropriate documentation is kept of all FOD incidents/occurrences; and
✅FOD data is analyzed to evaluate program effectiveness.
FOD EVENT INVESTIGATION AND RESOLUTION
All FOD events should be investigated to understand the cause(s) and actions that can be taken to prevent future occurrences. When investigating FOD events/incidents, the following steps should be taken:
👉Identify immediate action to be taken;
👉Investigate the incident;
👉Identify and implement corrective actions; and
👉Communicate outcomes.
FOD DATABASE
- The airport must maintain a record of all FOD incidents and near misses and the measures taken to fulfill the objectives of the FOD Management Program at the airport.
- All FOD related documentation should be stored in a central location or database.
- FOD documentation must be easily accessible /retrievable, both for analysis purposes and because it may be required in the event of an accident or serious incident.
- It is recommended that FOD records are kept for 5 consecutive years.
FOD DATA ANALYSIS
Successful FOD Programs incorporate trend analysis on a regular basis. Trend analysis involves the review of FOD occurrences at the airport to identify factors such as: types of FOD collected and how often each types of FOD is found; the locations FOD is most often found in “FOD hot spots”; common sources of FOD; contributing factors e.g weather conditions, etc.
Insights from FOD documentation review and data analysis should be used to evaluate the effectiveness of the FOD Program. When evaluating the FOD Program, the three elements that should be considered and Prevention; Detection; and Removal. Meanwhile, it is vital to know that the three main avenues through which airports can work to prevent FOD are Awareness; Training; and Assessing and Managing FOD risk.
FOD EVALUATION
Airports should review FOD data and evaluate the effectiveness of their FOD Program on at least an Annual Basis. The aim of this evaluation is to:
➡️ Identify whether the FOD Program is meeting the goals and objectives that have been set for FOD management; and
➡️ Identify changes or improvements that should be introduced to improve FOD management, e.g changes to the safety policy, or FOD procedures.
FOD REPORTING
The FOD program should include a visible FOD Reporting System that is fully understood by Staff at all levels. All FOD incidents should be recorded and reported on. Airports should also record all ”near misses”, especially where FOD incidents could have occurred had the FOD remained undetected, or a sequence of near misses is likely to lead to an eventual FOD event.
In addition to accidents and serious incidents, aerodrome operators should report safety occurrences of the following types:
a) Foreign Object Debris/Damage (FOD) related events;
b) Other excursion (i.e from a taxiway or apron);
c) Other incursion (i.e. on taxiway or apron); and
d) Ground collisions.
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CONCLUSION
Conclusively, FOD is clearly and evidently a serious threat to aviation globally. Therefore, its prevention, detection and removal remain the collective responsibility of all aviators and Industry stakeholders.
REFERENCE
- ICAO Annex 14 Part 3.3.12
- ACI Airside Safety Handbook, 4th edition, 2010
- FAA Advisory Circular No: 150/5210-24
